Devin Gardner has never lacked confidence. But after a four-turnover game against Akron, a little boost couldn't hurt the Michigan quarterback.

Gardner spent the summer traveling to various camps, refining his quarterback skills and creating a network of fellow QBs. When some of them saw his struggles in Michigan's 28-24 win Saturday, they reached out.

"(Texas A&M's) Johnny Manziel texted me; (Clemson's) Tajh Boyd, I got a chance to talk to," Gardner said today. "It's truly cool that they're friends like that when you have a good game — they texted me after Notre Dame — and after a game like that. They told me to keep my head up and keep moving forward."

Gardner said he broke down his mistakes immediately after Saturday's game, watching film as he does every week, and analyzing his performance. Each decision he made looked different in hindsight, but he was glad to hit the practice field Sunday, if only to leave behind Saturday's mistakes.

"I can't wait," he said. "This week has been so long, and we're only halfway through it. When you play bad, the week moves so slow, and when you play good, it moves so fast. I just can't wait to be back on the field. And then we have an 8 o'clock game, so it makes it even longer.

"I definitely have to play better. I can't wait."

Mark Snyder also writes for The Detroit Free Press, a Gannett property.

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Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports